1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure for fitting a pillar garnish and a fender panel to a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to conventional vehicle body structures, a pillar garnish (an A-pillar garnish) has, at both sides thereof, one side being smoothly merged with a window panel, and another side being also smoothly merged with a window glass. Also, the A-pillar garnish has a lower end smoothly merged with a fender panel. Accordingly, a stream-lined contour of a vehicle body is formed. There is proposed a technology related to fitting of an A-pillar garnish to a fender panel (see, fir example, JP 2000-177506 A). In order to provide a stream-lined contour to a window glass of a door which is arranged along the A-pillar garnish, an external garnish having a stream-lined contour as a whole formed continuously from an edge of the window glass is provided on a fender panel in a vehicle traveling direction from the window glass.
As the pillar garnish is smoothly merged with the window panel at one side of the pillar garnish, the fender panel is also smoothly merged with a front hood on one side of the fender panel. In a design which gives priority to the fitting of the fender panel to the front hood, a space may be formed between the fender panel and the bottom of the A-pillar garnish in some cases. Such a space is not desirable for a vehicle body with a stream-lined contour because it is viewed as black through human eyes, and gets attention. The blackness of the space can be suppressed by sealing the space by a seal member. However, it is necessary to surely hold the seal member so that the seal member does not fall in the space.
Moreover, when a design of an external garnish fitting to the shape of the edge of the window glass is prioritized, a space may be formed between the external garnish and the pillar garnish. As in the case of the foregoing space, this space is also viewed as black through human eyes and easily gets attention. This is not desirable for the vehicle body with a stream-lined contour. The reason why the space is viewed as black is that no light entering in the space comes out from that space at all. If a shade which reflects incoming light is provided right below the space, reflected light from the shade can prevent such a space from being viewed as black. However, as in the case of the foregoing seal member, it is necessary to surely hold the shade so that the shade does not fall in the space.